Dry wash ore separator



July 10, 1951 H. B. THAYER DRY WASH ORE SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1947 INVEB ITORL T/zqye/f ATTORNEYS July 10, 1951 H. B. THAYER 2,560,140

DRY WASH ORE SEPARATOR Filed Feb.- 12, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 a U a J U "I J l INVENTOR. ,B. T/Lagen myawvea A'TTD R N EYE Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED ATENT OFICE V V 2,560,140 v DRY WASH ORE SEPARATOR Horace B. Thayer, Farmington, N. Mex.

Application February 12, 1947, Serial No. 728,059

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to an improved dry wash ore separator of the type designed to travel over the ore bearing ground so that the dry surface soil will be scooped and conveyed to the separating machinery to remove the ore nuggets and to discharge the treated earth.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention according to the best mode I have thus far devised, but it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplified structure within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the device of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the resilient drive device for the conveyor belts.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the conveyors.

Figure 5 is a sectional view at line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings I have illustrated the present embodiment of my invention as comprising the frame 2 carrying springs 4 and axle 6 for wheels 8. A tractor hitch 9 permits the separator to be drawn by a tractor automobile or other suitable means.

A vertical support H] has elbows ll including arms l2 pivoted to the supports at l3. Between the arms I2 I journal the roller M carrying sprocket wheel and a conveyor belt l6 extends to the roller [8 journaled in the scoop blades 20.

Wings 22 direct the scooped earth surface to the lower end of the belt, and springs 24 protect the surface scraper by resiliently supporting the same from the frame 2. t

A roller 25 is also journaled in the scraper and the supporting rollers 21 for the belt 28 are journaled in the frame 29. Lugs 39 on the belt convey the scooped material upwards between the belts which move at the same speed. Roller 32 supporting the upper end of belt 28 is journaled in the elbows I l and carries sprocket wheel 34.

A chain 36 drives these sprockets and an extension 38 of the frame 29 carries the sprocket 40 in resilient relation through spring 42 so that large rocks carried upwards will not damage the conveyors. It will be noted that the belt 28 sags against the belt [6 to insure elevation of the scooped material and belt I6 terminates short of belt 28 so that a rock will not be forced between the two driving rollers.

Below the rollers I position a grizzly separating frame 44 having rods 46 to separate rocks and 2 permit predetermined sizes of material to pass to the sloping floor 48 to the outlet conduit 50.

The outlet directs the material to the vertically-disposed elevator housing 52 where the belt 54 on rollers 56 and 58 and having lugs 60 raises the material to discharge through the flaring top 62, to'the shaker screen 64 through rods 65.

A nugget trough 66 arranged adjacent the screen 3d receives the solid matter and the dust and dirt falls through the screen onto the ribbed board 10 from which it is discharged in a Window to the rear of the device. The board is braced at 12 and as the separator moves forward the belts are driven by suitable means so that the scooped material which must be dry, is passed through the mechanism to separate the valuable ores from dirt and stone.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mobile ore separator adapted to be towed by a vehicle, having a Wheeled frame, and a ground engaging support carried by the front end of said frame, the improvement comprising a vertically-disposed support projecting upwardly from the rear of said frame, an elbow pivotally secured to the top of said support, a first inclined conveyor belt extending between the elbow and ground engaging support and operatively connected thereto, a second inclined conveyor belt arranged above said first belt and coacting with the latter for the elevation therebetween of scooped material, a plurality of transverse lugs on said second belt adapted to frictionally engage said first belt, a receiving frame spaced above the rear of said wheeled frame for receiving the scooped material carried by said belts, a vertically-disposed elevator housing supported on the rear of said wheeled frame, an outlet conduit connected to said receiving frame for conveying scooped material from the latter to said elevator housing, and gravity means for receiving scooped material from the top of said elevator housing.

2. In a mobile ore separator adapted to be towed by a vehicle, having a Wheeled frame, and a surface scraper carried by the front end of said frame, the improvement comprising a verticallydisposed support projecting upwardly from the rear of said frame, an elbow pivotally secured to the top of said support, a first inclined conveyor belt extending between said elbow and the surface scraper and operatively connected thereto, a second inclined conveyor belt arranged above said first belt and coacting with the latter for the elevation therebetween of scooped material from the surface scraper, a plurality of transverse lugs on said second belt adapted to frictionally engage said first be1t,a receiving frame spaced above the rear of said wheeled frame for receiving the scooped material carried by said belts, a vertically-disposed elevator housing supported on the rear of said Wheeled frame, an outlet conduit connected to said receiving frame for conveying scooped material from the latter to said elevator housing, and gravity means for receiving scooped material from the top of said elevator housing.

HORACE B. THAYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 328,697 Marquis Oct. 20, 1885 799,161 Holmes Sept. 12, 1905 834,613 Gottlander Oct. 30, 1906 854,702 Proctor May 21, 1907 Thomas Aug. 13, 1946 

